Fire
by NextTimeI'llBeBraver
Summary: Fifth Story in our Lost Chronicles series. When a fire destroys Aragorn, Eowyn, Legolas, and Arwen's and an entire forest with it, new hope will rise from the ashes and with it love. By Savannah


3017

"You want me to sleep on a pile of rocks?" Arwen asked hands on her hips.

"Just trust me. It's an old ranger trick, even we get sore backs sometimes." Even Arwen had to smile at this. Just then Legolas and Eowyn walked into the fire light carrying large piles of grass in their arms. "Perfect!" Aragorn said almost giddily. Arwen rolled her eyes. "Eowyn pass me the moss," Aragorn said as he sat up and rub his hands. "There we go, two extremely comfortable beds."

Eowyn raised an eyebrow. "Two?" she asked.

"Oh right," Aragorn said rubbing the scruff on his neck. "I guess I'll take the first watch." He said sitting down by the fire.

Legolas climbed up onto the makeshift bed and sighed placing his hands behind his head. "Aragorn, you have some strange talents, but talents they are." He said waving Arwen over. Arwen smiled and climbed up beside him.

Eowyn shrugged and walked to her side of the bed.

Aragorn poked the dwindling fire with a stick until he knew that everyone was asleep, then he leaned back against the rocks and let his mind wander to the woman sleeping alone. His mind replayed the first time he had guarded her while she slept. He laughed to himself, like she needed guarding, he had seen the way she used a sword. Aragorn looked down at his hands smiling. 'Your falling for her,' he thought. But he shook his head. 'It's to bad she doesn't feel the same way. She only kissed you in thanks.' His thoughts continued. Suddenly he was ripped from his thoughts, he grabbed the closest weapon and stood. He looked down at the bow in his hands and reached for an arrow, he strung it then walked into the woods in the direction of the sound he had heard.

Aragorn walked through the forest perfectly still, holding the bow ready to fire. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement in the bushes, he raised the weapon but a doe raised her head and looked at him. Aragorn began to breathe again, he lowered the bow and began to walk back to their camp. When he reached the fire he sat back down, leaning his head back against the stone. He closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep.

..::..

Arwen woke up, she sat up and looked down at Legolas, she smiled and leaned down to kiss him She got up and walked in the direction of the stream, the dryness in her mouth growing with every passing second. She almost fell over Aragorn in the dark and smiled when she realized he was asleep. "You're a fantastic watch dog," she said.

..::..

Eowyn's lungs stung, she sat up, her eyes immediately beginning to sting. She looked out into the forest, a strange orange glow emanated from the trees. She gasped and jumped off of the makeshift bed and ran to where Aragorn was slumped on the ground. She knelt down and shook him but he rolled onto his back, unresponsive. Eowyn began to panic and rushed to Legolas shaking him. "Legolas wake up!" she screamed.

Legolas's eyes opened and he looked around. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the tears running down her cheeks. Then he realized his eye were burning to.

"The forests on fire!" Eowyn screamed.

Legolas looked down beside him then suddenly back up at Eowyn. "Where's Arwen!" he yelled back over the crackling, blazing sound of the fire.

Eowyn shrugged. "I can't get Aragorn to wake up!"

Legolas nodded and climbed down. He ran to Aragorn's prone form and threw him over his shoulder. He beckoned for Eowyn to follow and she ran after him. He ran through the forest until he found a clearing at the base of a hill. He lowered Aragorn down to the ground. "If the fire spreads," he yelled. "Drag him up to the top of the hill!" Eowyn nodded. Legolas ran back into the blaze to find Arwen.

..::..

Legolas ran through the forest trying to avoid the flames. "Arwen!" Legolas called over and over. Relief flooded him when he saw her and he ran to where she stood hunched over clinging to tree.

Arwen looked up through blurred eyes and saw a form coming toward her. But another coughing fit wracked her body. And everything began to go black.

Legolas reached her just as she began to fall; he caught her and lifted her arm around his shoulders. He began to run sweat running down his face.

..::..

Eowyn sat on the ground, her legs pulled up to her chest. "Come on, Legolas. What's taking so long?" she growled to herself. She tried to look into the forest but the smoke was getting thicker and thicker. Suddenly a great cracking noise filled the air and a huge tree fell right in front of them. Eowyn gasped and scrambled out the way. She looked to where Aragorn lay and her eyes widened. She crawled as fast as she could to him and began trying to put out the fire that had started on his leg. Finally, when the danger of him being engulfed was over, she looked down at the burnt flesh and immediately cringed. At least half of his thigh was a mess of red blood and blisters, the remaining skin singed black. Eowyn looked up, feeling heat on her cheek and groaned in frustration. The tree had set the long grass on fire and it was approaching them quickly. Eowyn grabbed Aragorn's arms and began to drag his heavy form up the steep hillside.

..::..

"Eowyn!" Legolas called. He looked around the forest totally at a loss for where he had left her.

"Go to the river," Arwen said groggily.

Legolas nodded and headed in what he thought was the right direction. He stopped. "Did you hear that?" Legolas asked.

Arwen shook her head. Then a great thud shook the ground. "What was that?" Arwen asked.

A picture of Eowyn crushed under a tree filled Legolas' mind and he hoped she was all right. "We need to keep going," he said and pulled Arwen along with him.

..::..

Eowyn flopped down onto the ground beside Aragorn, her chest heaving, her heart pumping so hard she thought it might explode. When she could breathe again she sat up looking over the red hot flames. She sighed and thought of the black ash that would replace the once green forest. She looked back down to where Aragorn lay sprawled on the ground and something panged at her heart. She picked up his head and placed it in her lap, smoothing away the hair that stuck to the edges of his face.

Slowly his gray eyes opened and he looked up her. Her long blond hair was disheveled and soot streaked her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her blue eyes sparkled with tears. Aragorn's face broke into a smile. He reached up and touched her cheek then he sat up and pulled her down toward him. Eowyn looked surprised but she didn't fight him. Their lips brushed then Aragorn grabbed her lips in his and kissed her full on. He lay back down and Eowyn followed him their mouths still locked together. Suddenly Aragorn cried out in pain, the sound muffled by their lips. Eowyn looked down to where he clutched his leg her worry growing. "When did this happen?" Aragorn asked through gritted teeth.

"A tree fell," Eowyn said absentmindedly.

Aragorn looked surprised. "You didn't think to tell me?"

"Haven't you noticed the forest is on fire?" she said ripping the edge off her shirt.

"I've been looking at something else," he said staring at her now exposed middle.

She looked at him and smiled out of the side of her mouth. "Here," she said "Can you lift it for a second?" Aragorn nodded and lifted his knee, immediately he groaned and his head fell back on to the grass. Eowyn cringed as the already fragile skin stretched as his mussels flexed with the movement. Hurriedly she wrapped the bandage around his thigh. He relaxed sighing at the coolness of the thin material. He lifted his head and shifted so it rested on her lap once more. They sat like that for a long time. The two of them on the grassy hill, the only green place left in the forest. Slowly at first the ashes began to fall then thicker like snow making everything an unnatural white color.

..::..

Legolas looked to the sky watching the ashes fall. He smiled at Arwen, the flecks of ash contrasting her dark hair. "I never understood," he said watching her. "How someone could be so in love with just one person that they could spend the rest of their lives with them." Arwen looked up her eyes shining. "But I think I understand it now." Arwen smiled and touched his cheek then leaned over and kissed him.


End file.
